WWE Smackdown rating: Did the second week of heel Pat McAfee lead to improved numbers for the penultimate show before WrestleMania 42?

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

WWE Friday Night Smackdown finished with an average of 1.412 million viewers for USA Network, according to ProgrammingInsider.com. The number was down compared to the previous episode’s 1.508 million average viewership.

Powell’s POV: Friday’s Smackdown finished with a 0.36 rating in the 18-49 demographic, ?? from the previous week’s 0.43 rating. One year earlier, the April 11, 2025, Smackdown averaged 1.551 million viewers and a 0.45 rating for USA Network.

(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)